


speak of the devil

by indecisively_yours



Series: speak of the devil [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Swan Supernatural Summer, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 08:18:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15926498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indecisively_yours/pseuds/indecisively_yours
Summary: They say life flashes before your eyes before you die. Have they ever said much about what flashes before your eyes when you’re about to lose someone? For Killian, it’s not his life—that’s to say, not his life alone. As someone who was immortal (the Devil, to be exact), he had never truly encountered such an issue.That is, until he met Emma Swan.





	speak of the devil

As the man standing before them raises his gun, he clenches fists at his side. He takes a step forward but she’s quicker, jumping in front of him to shield his body with hers. His eyes widen as he watches the trigger being pulled; he can practically feel the bullet connect with her body as she falls into his arms.

On instinct, his wings unfurl and wrap around them, creating a barrier between them and the bullets that begin to fly in their direction. He curses what led them here as he screams, wishing, for once, that he had the ability to turn back time.

* * *

_“Swan, you don’t have to go in there.”_

_“I’m the one with the badge and the gun, or did you suddenly forget that?”_

_“Yes, but—”_

_“No buts, Killian. I’m going in there and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”_

_“He’s not just the man who killed your friend, Swan; he’s also the man who you were about to marry.”_

_“All the more reason to look him in the eye and confront him about all of this, don’t you think?”_

* * *

He shouldn’t have agreed. He knows he shouldn’t have encouraged that part of her–the part of his Swan with so much fire and passion and stubbornness, but it would have been a fool’s errand to stop her. The next best thing was to follow her, to keep his word and stay by her side until the end of the world.

He didn’t think this would be the end of her world.

The bullets bounce off of him, each one clipping his wings, feathers falling like snow.. It’s painful, sure, but at this moment he can’t focus on anything but the woman in his arms with an uncertain future.

Then, all at once, they stop. He waits a beat–perhaps two–before he spreads his wings and checks on their surroundings. Walsh and his goons are out of bullets, which makes for a perfect time to escape. He doesn’t hesitate to hold her close before they’re flying out of the building, straight to the rooftop.

* * *

 

_“Hey. This changes nothing between us. What I told you last night…that’s real.”_

_“You mean before or after you kissed me?….Ow! Must you punch my arm?”_

_“Come on, Killian. Let’s go and stop this son of a bitch before he hurts anyone else.”_

* * *

He pushes the hair back from her face, blinking back the tears that threaten to spill. He’s not well-versed in bringing anyone back to life, but if he could exchange something— _anything_ —to bring her back to him, he’d do it without a moment’s notice.

“Emma, please, come back to me,” he pleads, forehead pressed against hers as his hand cups her cheek.

He’s never been one for praying, not unless he’s been in need of his brother, but he finds himself contemplating it now. He’ll try anything to get her back.

Her hand reaches for his before a prayer leaves his lips, eyes fluttering open as she groans. He could kiss her, if it wasn’t so life and death around them right now.

“Killian, I’m okay,” she tells him, sitting up with a slight groan. She pulls down the edge of her shirt to reveal the vest underneath. “I told you I came prepared.”

He helps her to her feet, dusting off her jacket as she regains her balance. He knows the look in her eyes, knows she’s ready to finish the fight, but he’s not about to let her do that. He can’t. He almost lost her once today, and that’s more than what he planned.

“Swan, you need to stay behind,” he tells her. He sees the protest forming on her lips, but it soon dies as they hear a loud car screech on the streets below.

He uses that moment of distraction to his advantage, moving with a quick ease back down to where Walsh and his men remain. They all hold their guns at the ready, all aimed at Killian as he steps into the hall.

“Aw, shucks, you’re still alive?” Walsh says with a shake of his head. “And here I thought having Emma around would make the job easier. Two birds with one stone and all of that.”

“You’re a downright bastard if you think I’ll let you get near her again,” Killian tells him, taking a step forward. If looks could kill, Walsh would’ve been dead ten times over.

Walsh points his gun at him,  _tsk_ ing with each step. “Now, now, Mr. Jones. We all know what happens to you whenever Emma is near. Are you sure this is a good idea?”

One of the men standing next to Walsh shoots without prompting. The bullet ricochets off of Killian’s chest, hitting another one of the nearby men in the leg. He looks down at his chest, shaking his head at the hole in the garment now present there.

“I really liked this suit, too,” Killian all but pouts.

He looks up at the man who shot him, amused by the look of fear settling in him. He takes a quick look around to take note of the other goons, smiling in amusement at the look of fear settling in on some.

It all happens quickly after that.

He takes joy in taking out Walsh’s men one by one, using his hands or their own weapons against them. Bones break and necks snap; one by one they begin to fall like pawns on a chessboard, all attempts to protect their king proving futile.

He doesn’t begin to revel in it until he gets his hands on Walsh, landing a punch before the man is able to do the same. The gun ends up thrown by the wayside during the fight. Killian’s sure he has the upperhand until he sees Walsh pull out an all too familiar knife.

He dodges the first and second swipe of the deadly blade before feeling it rip through the fabric of his sleeve. Killian feels the anger course through him as he struggles with Walsh for control of the blade.

And then, Walsh laughs. The act throws him off momentarily but the anger still remains.

“Who knew that all it would take for the Devil to make his triumphant return would be for me to attempt to kill Emma,” Walsh grins. “How long do you think this version of you will stay if I actually finish the job?”

He gives the man no more time to speak, punching him twice so that he falls to the ground with a massive  _thud_. Killian follows him down, fist connecting with his nose before he reaches for the blade.

“I’ll see you in Hell,” Killian says, plunging the blade straight into Walsh’s heart. “Enjoy your stay.”

He waits until the final breath leaves Walsh’s body before he stands up, dusting the dirt off his suit. He’s made a mess, yes, but it’s nothing he, Liam, and Tink can’t clean up (if the police don’t do it for them first). The protruding handle catches his eye as if reminding him to take it back. So he does, pulling it out of Walsh’s chest with ease before he wipes the blood off on the dead man’s shirt.

“I know someone who’ll need this more than you will,” he says to the corpse, slipping it into the inner pocket of his jacket. “Hope you don’t mind.”

He hears the crunching of footsteps on debris approach before he hears Emma’s soft, “Killian…” reach his ears.

“Swan,” he says, turning to face her. “I thought I told you to stay put up there. I have this all under control.”

She shakes her head, jaw slightly agape, eyes widened with an expression he can’t quite place just yet.

“You…” she begins to say. He furrows his brows in confusion, taking a step toward her. She shakes her head, causing him to stop. “You’re…”

His hand instinctively reaches behind his head, his nervous tick giving way. But when he scratches behind his ear, he feels no hair. His fingers move to his cheek and he realizes his skin doesn’t feel the same.

“You really are the Devil…”

_Oh shit._


End file.
